U.S. Commander In Afghanistan Ousted

Gen. David McKiernan Asked To Resign As U.S. Begins New Phase In Battle With Taliban

(CBS/AP)  Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired the U.S. commander of the Afghanistan war Monday, saying the Obama administration needed "fresh thinking" to turn around the war against a resurgent Taliban.

Gen. David McKiernan was replaced after less than a year in the job. The new commander will be Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, also an Army officer but with experience as a leader of special forces. McKiernan has a more conventional background.

"Today we have a new policy set by our new president. We have a new strategy, a new mission and a new ambassador. I believe that new military leadership also is needed," Gates said at a news conference.

It's the first time a commander in the middle of a war has been removed from his position since Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951. There was apparently pressure mounting for months from some military experts to replace McKiernan, reports CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.

McKiernan issued a short statement saying his time in Afghanistan made him proud to be an American soldier.

"All of us, in any future capacity, must remain committed to the great people of Afghanistan," he said.

McKiernan's exit comes as more than 21,000 additional U.S. forces begin to arrive in Afghanistan, dispatched by Mr. Obama to confront the Taliban more forcefully this spring and summer. Despite seven years of effort by the U.S. and allies, Afghanistan remains a battleground with an unstable government, flourishing opium trade and suicide attacks by supporters of al Qaeda.

Monday's announcement came a week after Afghan civilians were killed during a battle between militants and U.S. forces.

Afghan officials say up to 147 people may have died in the battle in Farah, though the U.S. says that number is exaggerated.

The U.S. on Saturday blamed Taliban militants for causing the deaths by using villagers as human shields in hopes they would be killed. A preliminary U.S. report did not say how many people died in the battle.

Gates said McChrystal, now a senior administrator with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would be nominated for the top job in Afghanistan and that Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez would become McChrystal's deputy. The defense secretary urged the Senate to confirm the two quickly.

Mr. Obama approved 17,000 additional combat forces for Afghanistan this year, plus 4,000 trainers and other noncombat troops. By year's end, the United States will have more than 68,000 troops in the sprawling country - about double the total at the end of George W. Bush's presidency but still far fewer than the 130,000 still in Iraq.

McKiernan and other U.S. commanders have said resources they need in Afghanistan are tied up in Iraq.

Asked if McKiernan's resignation ends his military career, Gates said, "Probably."

Gates visited Afghanistan last week to see firsthand what preparations and plans were under way to set the president's counterinsurgency strategy in motion.

"As I have said many times before, very few of these problems can be solved by military means alone," Gates said Monday. "And yet, from the military perspective, we can and must do better."

He indicated that the Afghan campaign had long lacked the people and money needed in favor of the Bush administration's focus since 2003 on the Iraq war.

"But I believe, resources or no, that our mission there requires new thinking and new approaches from our military leaders," Gates said.

Sources close to the defense secretary said McKiernan was informed of the decision to relieve him of command during Gates' trip and showed extraordinary class when he heard the news, reports Couric.

Shortly afterward, the general sat down for an exclusive interview with Couric and gave no indication his time in Afghanistan was coming to a close.

"Every day I'm here in Afghanistan I understand the people of this country a little bit better. And they are a very big-hearted people that want peace and they are friends of the United States of America. And so I don't lose hope," he said.

In June 2006 McChrystal was congratulated by then-President George W. Bush for his role in the operation that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. As head of the special operations command, his forces included the Army's clandestine counterterrorism unit, Delta Force.

McChrystal came under fire for his role in the furor surrounding the friendly fire shooting of Army Ranger Pat Tillman - a former professional football star - in Afghanistan. An investigation at the time found that he was "accountable for the inaccurate and misleading assertions" contained in papers recommending that Tillman get a Silver Star award.

McChrystal acknowledged he had suspected several days before approving the Silver Star citation that Tillman may have died from friendly fire rather than enemy bullets. He sent a memo to military leaders warning them of that, even as they were approving Tillman's Silver Star. He told investigators that he still believed Tillman deserved the award.

The Army overruled a Pentagon recommendation that McChrystal be held accountable.

[promaclaura]

McKiernan is an ignorant warmonger with no redeeming qualities. Of course, the Republicans like him... he's a scumbag.
Posted by bthomascoope at 4:33 AM : May 12, 2009

Oh, but Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal is going to be tending a flower garden in Afghanistan? Generals lead soldiers, soldiers conduct war and it doesn't matter what party they are under.

[promaclaura]

A BUSH APPOINTEE, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY
Posted by pythoncharly at 5:35 PM : May 11, 2009

Gen. David McKiernan was on the job less than a year mental midget.

[azfalcon]

<i>"I made $200.000.00 on one stock last week." </i>

So - one or more people then lost $200K on that same stock.

[azfalcon]

"Just review Rooseveldt and Kennedy. Johnson continued it until Nixon took over."

I assume you are talking about Democrats who started wars? Did FDR drop bombs on Pearl Harbor? And in case you are interested, the French Indo-China War became known as the Vietnam War shortly after Eisenhower sent soldiers there.

And your point is..... I've no clue on what you mean about FDR and Pearl Harbor - unless you point to the US supplying England, France and the USSR through the Lend Lease program. The French Indo-China war ended in 1954 - prior to Eisenhower taking office. Eisenhower sent military advisors to Vietnam - Kennedy sent troops there and Johnson escalated our involvement. Nixon ended the war. Again... your point is ???

[paddyhayes]

"I made $200.000.00 on one stock last week."

I'm glad I bought hip waders over the weekend.

[realnews12]

If anything makes an upward turn. The media will try to make a hero out of Obama.
The stock market is not so bad right now, if you know how to play. I made $200.000.00 on one stock last week.

Posted by Sir_Majesty at 3:59 PM : May 11, 2009

Obama's policies are starting to work ! Hurray!

[paddyhayes]

"Just review Rooseveldt and Kennedy. Johnson continued it until Nixon took over."

I assume you are talking about Democrats who started wars?

Did FDR drop bombs on Pearl Harbor?

And in case you are interested, the French Indo-China War became known as the Vietnam War shortly after Eisenhower sent soldiers there.

[paddyhayes]

"Now that Obama has started messing with the military..."

No General was ever fired by a Republican. Not Lincoln, for sure.

[donbl1]

The General must have really ticked off Gates who is usually pretty cool.

I doubt Obama made this decision on his own.

Changing Generals can work and sometimes it doesn't.

Only time will tell.

The last Generals to be "changed out" were not "fired" by Bush but reassigned or retired and then Petraeus showed up.

Of course, the guy reports to Petraeus so I assume his fingerprints are all over this deal.

[jenkins501]

Some of you people need to go lick your wounds someplace else other than a public forum making a$$'$ of yourself. I am tired of reading all of the anti Obama stuff. Grow up or turn on your radio and listen to that idiot ol Rushie!! What a drugged up moron. He needs to just move out of the country and take Bush/Cheney with him. God I am sick of it. Get over it all of you, it is done.

[stn_sage]

Posted by stn_sage at 4:56 PM : May 11, 2009
====================================
I'm not sure why I received **** under the previous post
when all I offered was g*o*o*d luck to the new general!

[stn_sage]

Any new president has the right to replace existing commanders in the field---it doesn't usually reflect on them in any negative light whatsoever!

The new president wishes to have a hand-chosen commander that HE knows will fulfill his defined mission statements as a result of the appointment versus a commander who was obligated to a different set of priorities under the former president!

**** luck, General McChrystal!

[Mick_riesse]

>Now that Obama has started messing with the military , look for many to get out and few to join.......CUL
Posted by Sir_Majesty at 4:19 PM : May 11, 2009

When their enlistment is up they will be allowed to leave, unlike being stop-lossed by the
Bush posse.

[Mick_riesse]

>The White House handcuffed the CIA and American troops are paying the price with their blood.
Posted by HusseinMalaise at 4:16 PM : May 11, 2009

American troops are killing American troops.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/11/iraq/main5005795.shtml?tag=topStory;topStoryHeadline

This has nothing to do with the CIA or the current occupant of the WH. It has everything to do with the implementation of a war for oil based on lies by the Bush posse.

[azfalcon]

Just review Rooseveldt and Kennedy. Johnson continued it until Nixon took over.

[azfalcon]

Can you spell "draft" ?

[azfalcon]

Yes, but not with Oh! Bummer blood.

[azfalcon]

The Oh! Bummer plan is that those in the know will buy what Oh! Bummer tells them to, and they will reap the windfall. Normal people - who just work for a living - will keep working and keep paying into the pool of money that the Oh! Bummer crew diverts to his supporters. TARP and next will be the Credit Card Bailout - I don't know what acronym they will give that - but it is coming. We've let him do mortgage bailouts, auto bailouts, next will be credit card bailouts, and finally - we will have to do a government bailout to pay back all the other bailouts. Let's hold Oh! Bummers feet to the fire and make him tax the hell out of his friends who took all the money from the first three bailouts. NOT. Never going to happen. He'll promote them as saviours of the economy and preach about how we all have to come up with the money to keep them rich.

[Mick_riesse]

>I would get out as well.
Posted by enriquieGonzales at 4:05 PM : May 11, 2009

If you would get out then first you would have to be in, which you are not.
Just more armchair patriotism.

Is your green card still valid?

[paddyhayes]

"Obama has not fixed anything. The economy is worse than ever.
I talk to some guys in the military that were planning on staying in for 20 years. Now that Obama is president, they are getting out."

The economy is worse than ever. Given the fact that it was in a nose dive and now appears to be leveling out, I'd say you are probably right. Would've been nice if the last pilot hadn't forgotten about flying the plane.

You talk to some guys. Classic. Two logical fallacies in one. Hasty Generalization and Appeal to Anonymous Authority. "I heard that . . ."

I'm happy to hear that you have actually seen a couple of guys in the military and can now speak authoritatively about the military.